Masonry Window & Door Replacement
Steel Lintels Done Right
Brick Opening Repairs
Aging brick openings crack, shift, and let water in. Freeze-thaw cycles work on mortar joints every winter. A failing lintel above a window or door can quietly damage a whole wall section.
This page covers masonry window and door replacement, enlarging or closing brick openings, and steel lintel swap-outs. We work with homeowners, landlords, and property managers across Franklin Park.
Get in touch!
Where Steel Lintels Belong and Why Every Brick Opening Needs One
Every window and door opening in a masonry wall needs a lintel above it. The lintel carries the weight of the brick courses above. Without it, those courses shift, crack, and eventually push outward.
Steel lintels replaced older iron and stone versions in most postwar Franklin Park homes. Mid-century brick bungalows and two-flats in this area were built with shallow lintels that are now reaching end of life.
When we size a replacement lintel, we match it to the wall thickness and the span of the opening. The lintel also needs to bear on solid masonry on each side — not just the frame.
How to Tell When a Lintel Is Failing Before It Damages Your Wall
Most lintel problems show up on the outside of your home before you notice anything inside. Catching them early keeps the repair smaller and simpler.
Chicago-area freeze-thaw cycles speed up both lintel rust and mortar joint failure. Look for these signs on your brick:
- Stair-step cracks in the brick above a window or door opening
- Rust staining on the brick face — the steel lintel is corroding from inside the wall
- A lintel that looks bowed or sagging from the outside
- Water coming in at the corners of a window frame
That last one is often blamed on the frame itself, but the source is frequently the lintel. A site visit from our crew confirms which is the problem.
Replacing a Window or Door Opening in a Masonry Wall Takes More Than a Frame Swap
Window-only installers sometimes decline brick wall jobs or skip the structural work entirely. Masonry opening replacement is different. The wall above the opening has to be supported before anything is removed.
In Franklin Park, structural masonry changes require a building permit from the Village. Our crew handles the permit process. Work must meet IRC load path requirements, and the inspection happens before we close up the wall.
If the opening size is changing, the new lintel must be sized to the new span. We do not reuse the old lintel. Brick courses above the opening get relaid to tie into the new lintel bearing. We coordinate with your window or door supplier on rough opening specs before the frame is ordered.
Old Windows and Doors in Franklin Park Brick Homes Lose More Than Heat
Homes in the Belmont-Central corridor are mostly 1950s to 1970s brick construction. Many still have original steel casements or aluminum sliders. Those frames are often corroded and no longer seal against air and water.
A 20-year-old window in a masonry wall usually has more than worn glass. The flashing around the rough opening may be compromised. A failed door frame in brick allows moisture into the wall cavity, and that moisture rusts the lintel from behind.
Replacing just the frame without addressing a failing lintel means reopening the wall again later. We do both together in one mobilization. That saves disruption and stops the damage cycle. Updated openings also support home resale value in a way that deferred repairs do not.
What Happens During a Masonry Opening Replacement — Step by Step
Here is what to expect when our crew arrives at your Franklin Park property. Most lots in this area are close-set, so we work from the exterior to protect your interior finishes.
• Day 1: Shore the wall, remove the failed lintel, demo the old frame, and clear surrounding mortar.
• Cut or build out the opening to final rough dimensions if the size is changing.
• Set the new steel lintel with correct end bearing — minimum 4 inches on each side per standard.
• Relay brick courses and repoint the mortar to match the existing wall face.
• Install the new frame, flash the perimeter, and seal the masonry joint.
• Final check: plumb, level, square, and weathertight before we leave the site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — structural masonry changes require a Village of Franklin Park building permit. We pull the permit as part of the job. You do not need to manage that process yourself.
The standard minimum bearing is 4 inches on each side of the opening. Wider openings may require more bearing depending on the wall load. We size each lintel to the specific span and wall conditions we find on site.
If the frame and lintel are both sound, yes — a door-only replacement is possible. If the masonry shows cracks above the opening or the lintel is rusted, both need to be addressed at the same time. A site visit gives you a clear answer.
Rust stains and cracked brick above the opening point to the lintel. Air or water coming in at the sash edge points to the frame. Often both are failing at the same time in older brick homes. We check both during our site visit.
If the lintel and flashing are also failing, yes — and doing both at once avoids reopening the wall twice. Windows alone rarely solve water intrusion in brick homes when the structural layer above has not been addressed.
Get a Free Quote
If you’re seeing cracked brick, rust stains, or water coming in around your windows or doors, it’s time to take a closer look. Issues like a failing lintel or shifting opening won’t fix themselves—and waiting usually leads to a larger repair. We handle masonry window and door replacements, opening modifications, and steel lintel work across Franklin Park, including permits and full structural support. Reach out to schedule a site visit and get a clear answer on what’s going on and what it will take to fix it.